Judge Judy Sheindlin, who had only ever publicly endorsed one presidential candidate — Mike Bloomberg in 2020 — has now put her reputation and support behind GOP candidate Nikki Haley for the 2024 presidential election.
CNN reporter Dana Bash sat down with Judge Judy to discuss why she supports Haley versus Joe Biden and Donald Trump, in video you can watch above.
“I met Nikki Haley about a year ago because I was impressed with her four years ago ,and when she decided to dip our toe in the water, I said, ‘It’s someone who I could embrace, but I first have to meet her, so we spent some time together,’” Sheindlin told Bash. “I was impressed enough with what I heard and her history to travel 1700 miles tonight to convince whoever I can in the state of New Hampshire that Donald Trump should not be president again, and that Joe Biden should not be president again. And Nikki Haley is a chance for America to redeem its rightful place in the world. That’s an honest, long-winded reason.”
Haley brought up Trump’s many legal trials and how those are distracting him from his own campaign for a second term in office. She also attributed Trump’s presidency to “luck.”
“Chaos follows him, and right now he’s embroiled in legal, financial, personal, civil, criminal actions,” she said. “You need someone who was totally focused on being president of the United States.”
As for Biden, Sheindlin related to his age and how she balances her health with her demanding position.
“I never saw greatness and neither did anyone else in the then 50 years that Joe Biden was in public office. He was an ordinary guy. He tried president twice and backed out. There was a reason for that,” she said. “I don’t know how it comes about, for the same crazy way it came out the Donald Trump was president for four years, that was the same finessing that gave us Joe Biden. Neither one of those two men should be president for another four years.”
“Joe Biden is now older. I’m not goung to get into, with you, what everybody talks about with regard to his cognitive ability, but I know he’s my age,” she added. “I run a big business. I’m the matriarch of the family of 20 plus, I make decisions that affect hundreds of people every day. I need a nap in the afternoon. So does Joe Biden. Probably two. Nikki Haley is better.”
When asked if part of her decision to endorse Nikki Haley involved Haley being a woman, Sheindlin shrugged off the point immediately.
“No, I would support her if she were a frog. She’s capable. She’s poised. Men can be capable, poised, direct, honest. I don’t think she’s any of the negatives that I see in the opposition right now,” Sheindlin said. “I certainly don’t think that she’s a bully. I certainly don’t think that chaos follows her. I certainly don’t think that she’s unfocused because of everything else that’s going on in her life. And I know that she is cognitively stable. So the fact that she’s a woman, great, but I would vote for her if she were a goat.”
This endorsement coincides with he third season of Sheindlin’s “Justice Judy.”
“Judy Justice” Season 3 premiered Monday on Amazon Freevee and Prime Video, with new episodes releasing every weekday until April 5. A second installment of episodes will drop later this year.
